A precise LSZH power cable specification is essential for buildings, transportation facilities, data centers, public infrastructure, and other critical installations where smoke density and halogen-gas performance during a fire directly impact safety.
The procurement problem is that LSZH, low smoke, halogen free and flame retardant are not interchangeable specifications. A quotation that says “LSZH cable” may not provide enough information for the buyer to verify the required insulation and sheath materials, smoke performance, halogen-gas performance, flame propagation test, voltage rating or applicable product standard.
When writing an LSZH power cable specification, you must define the cable voltage rating, conductor material and class, cross-section, number of cores, insulation and sheath materials, halogen-free requirements (IEC 60754), smoke-density performance (IEC 61034-2), flame propagation standards (IEC 60332), and applicable product standards. Do not use “LSZH” as the only technical requirement because the term does not by itself define every fire-performance test or product construction requirement.
For procurement, the objective is not simply to find a cable described as LSZH. The objective is to create a specification that allows different manufacturers to quote against the same technical requirements and allows the purchaser to verify compliance before shipment.
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LSZH should be written as a set of measurable material and fire-performance requirements rather than used as a stand-alone product description.
In power-cable procurement, LSZH generally refers to cable materials designed to produce low smoke and no or very low halogen-acid gas emissions under specified fire-test conditions. However, the exact acceptance criteria depend on the product standard, project specification and required test methods.
Fact Definition: LSZH, or low smoke zero halogen, describes a cable-material requirement associated with reduced smoke emission and limited halogen-acid-gas emission under specified fire-test conditions. The term itself does not define a complete cable construction or every required fire-performance test.
Therefore, a technically useful specification should answer four separate questions:
| Requirement | What the Buyer Should Define |
|---|---|
| Material | Insulation and sheath material suitable for the specified LSZH requirement |
| Halogen performance | Applicable halogen-acid-gas test and acceptance requirement |
| Smoke performance | Applicable smoke-density test and project acceptance criterion |
| Flame performance | Required single-cable or bunched-cable flame test, where applicable |
The LSZH requirement must sit inside a defined power-cable standard and voltage class; it should not replace the basic electrical specification.
Before discussing LSZH performance, identify whether the project requires LV or MV power cable and which product standard governs the cable construction and testing.
For example, IEC 60502-1:2021 specifies construction, dimensions and test requirements for power cables with extruded solid insulation for rated AC voltages of 1 kV and 3 kV in fixed installations. The applicable standard should always be confirmed against the project specification and voltage class.
Fact Definition: A complete LSZH power-cable specification requires both the required fire/material performance and the electrical product standard governing the cable construction.
| Procurement Item | Example Requirement |
|---|---|
| Rated voltage | 0.6/1 kV, subject to project specification |
| Conductor | Copper or aluminium, specified cross-section |
| Insulation | Specified XLPE or other approved material |
| Sheath | Specified LSZH compound |
| Product standard | Applicable IEC or project standard |
The buyer should identify the insulation and sheath materials separately because an LSZH requirement for the outer sheath does not automatically define every material used inside the cable.
A power cable is a multilayer construction. Depending on the design, it may contain conductor, conductor screen, insulation, insulation screen, metallic screen, fillers, bedding, armour and outer sheath.
When an RFQ only states “LSZH power cable,” the supplier may still need clarification about which components are required to meet the halogen-free or low-smoke specification.
Fact Definition: LSZH performance should be evaluated against the materials and cable construction specified for the project; the commercial label LSZH alone does not identify every material layer in a power cable.
Halogen-free verification should identify the applicable IEC 60754 test method rather than relying on the words “zero halogen” in a catalogue description.
IEC 60754-1 specifies a method for determining the amount of halogen acid gas evolved during combustion of relevant cable materials. IEC 60754-2 addresses acidity by pH measurement and conductivity of gases evolved during combustion.
These are different measurements and should not be treated as identical tests. A procurement specification should therefore identify which test or combination of tests is required by the project.
| Standard | What It Addresses | Procurement Use |
|---|---|---|
| IEC 60754-1 | Halogen acid gas content | Verify specified halogen-gas performance |
| IEC 60754-2 | Acidity and conductivity | Verify corrosivity-related combustion-gas characteristics |
Low-smoke performance is a separate procurement parameter and should be linked to the specified smoke-density test instead of being inferred from the term LSZH.
IEC 61034-2 specifies the test procedure and requirements framework for measuring smoke density from cables burning under defined conditions.
Fact Definition: Low-smoke performance refers to the amount of smoke produced under defined cable-burning test conditions. It is a separate characteristic from halogen-acid-gas performance.
This distinction matters when comparing supplier datasheets. One manufacturer may provide an LSZH designation while another provides an explicit smoke-density test reference. The purchaser should compare the underlying test requirement rather than the marketing wording.
If the project specification requires low smoke, write the applicable smoke test and acceptance requirement into the RFQ. Do not rely only on “LSZH,” “low smoke” or “halogen free” appearing in the cable name.
LSZH and flame-retardant performance address different characteristics, so the required flame test must be stated separately when the project requires it.
A cable can be specified for low smoke and halogen-free combustion characteristics while also being required to meet a particular flame-propagation test. These requirements should not be merged into one generic “fire-resistant” statement.
IEC 60332-1-2 specifies the test procedure for vertical flame propagation on a single vertical insulated conductor or cable using a 1 kW pre-mixed flame. For bunched cables, different parts of the IEC 60332-3 series address vertical flame spread under defined test conditions.
| Term / Requirement | Procurement Meaning |
|---|---|
| LSZH | Material/fire-gas characteristic requiring defined verification |
| Low smoke | Smoke emission characteristic under a defined test |
| Halogen free | Halogen-acid-gas characteristic under the applicable test method |
| Flame propagation | Ability of the tested cable arrangement to limit flame propagation under defined conditions |
| Fire resistant | A separate performance concept that requires a specific test and duration if required by the project |
Not sure how to write the LSZH requirement into your RFQ?
An LSZH cable still has to satisfy the project’s electrical, mechanical and installation requirements; low-smoke performance does not replace conductor sizing, voltage rating or installation design.
Procurement engineers should therefore keep the normal power-cable specification intact while adding the LSZH requirements.
| Parameter | What to Confirm | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Voltage rating | Rated voltage and applicable standard | Defines electrical application |
| Conductor | Cu or Al, cross-section and class | Determines current-carrying and electrical characteristics |
| Core configuration | Single-core or multicore | Affects cable construction and installation |
| Armour | SWA, STA or other required construction | Determines mechanical protection and cable construction |
| Bending radius | Manufacturer/project requirement | Affects installation planning |
| Operating environment | Indoor, outdoor, tray, tunnel, duct or other | Affects construction and installation suitability |
| LSZH performance | Halogen, smoke and flame requirements | Defines required fire-performance characteristics |
A supplier’s LSZH statement should be supported by a technical datasheet and the relevant test documentation required by the project specification.
The exact documents depend on the cable type and contractual requirements. However, a buyer should establish in advance what evidence will be required before approving the supplier.
Do not ask only for a certificate carrying the words “LSZH.” Ask the supplier to identify the cable construction, test method, tested material or cable configuration and the applicable acceptance criteria.
Reviewing an LSZH power cable spec with your project team or EPC contractor? Get our one-page printable technical checklist with raw IEC test limits (IEC 60754, IEC 61034, IEC 60332) and copy-paste BOQ clauses.
The RFQ should give every supplier the same electrical, construction and fire-performance requirements so that quotations can be compared on an equivalent technical basis.
Avoid an RFQ line such as:
A more useful RFQ should identify the technical requirements individually.
Two LSZH cable quotations should only be compared after the cable construction, product standard, fire tests, quantity and commercial delivery basis have been aligned.
| Requirement | Supplier A | Supplier B | Buyer Check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cable designation | Same construction? | ||
| Rated voltage | Same voltage class? | ||
| Insulation | Same material? | ||
| LSZH sheath | Same requirement? | ||
| IEC 60754 evidence | Same test basis? | ||
| IEC 61034 evidence | Same smoke requirement? | ||
| IEC 60332 evidence | Same flame requirement? | ||
| Cable quantity | Same quantity? | ||
| Drum arrangement | Same delivery basis? |
This approach prevents the buyer from comparing a lower-priced cable simply because one supplier has provided fewer technical requirements or a different interpretation of the term LSZH.
Use numerical data only when the number is tied to a defined IEC document, test condition or product requirement; do not turn a test parameter into a universal cable-selection rule.
| Data Point | Source | Applicable Scenario |
|---|---|---|
| 1 kV | IEC 60502-1 | Rated AC voltage level covered by the LV product standard |
| 3 kV | IEC 60502-1 | Higher rated-voltage level covered by IEC 60502-1 |
| 1 kW | IEC 60332-1-2 | Pre-mixed flame energy rating specified for single-cable vertical flame-propagation testing |
| < 0.5% | IEC 60754-1 | Maximum allowable halogen acid gas evolution (5 mg/g) for halogen-free qualification |
| ≥ 60% | IEC 61034-2 | Standard minimum light transmittance threshold for low-smoke compliance |
| pH ≥ 4.3 | IEC 60754-2 | Minimum pH value threshold for combustion gas acidity verification |
| ≤ 10 µS/mm | IEC 60754-2 | Maximum allowable conductivity limit for corrosivity evaluation |
Note: The figures above identify standards, test references or company information. They do not establish universal LSZH acceptance criteria for every project. Contractual requirements should always be checked against the applicable product standard and project specification.
These definitions separate the material, smoke, halogen and flame-performance concepts that are frequently combined incorrectly in cable procurement.
LSZH Cable: A cable using specified materials intended to meet defined low-smoke and halogen-related performance requirements under applicable fire-test conditions.
Halogen-Free: A material performance criteria defined under IEC 60754-1/2 where total halogen acid gas content released during combustion does not exceed 0.5% (5 mg/g), preventing the emission of highly corrosive and toxic gases like HCl and HF.
Low Smoke: A performance rating evaluated under IEC 61034-2, requiring burning cable samples to maintain a specified minimum light transmittance (typically ≥ 60%) to preserve visibility during emergency evacuations.
Halogen Acid Gas: Acidic gases containing halogen elements that can be generated when relevant halogen-containing cable materials are exposed to combustion conditions.
Flame Propagation: The spread of flame along or among tested cable samples under defined test conditions.
Smoke Density: A measured characteristic describing the density of smoke produced by cables burning under defined test conditions.
Cable Construction: The complete arrangement of conductor, insulation, screens, armour, bedding and sheath forming the finished power cable.
LSZH selection becomes much more reliable when the cable designation, RFQ, quotation, installation conditions and technical acceptance requirements are reviewed together.
Huanghe Cable approaches LSZH inquiries as a complete cable-specification review rather than treating LSZH as a standalone product name.
Huanghe Cable was established in 1980 and manufactures LV and MV power cables and related cable products. For an LSZH project inquiry, the technical review can cover conductor material and size, voltage rating, cable construction, insulation, sheath, armour or screen requirements, installation conditions, quantity and applicable testing requirements.
Where a project requires specific low-smoke, halogen-related or flame-performance requirements, the buyer should provide the applicable project specification or test references. Huanghe can then review the requested construction and documentation basis for quotation.
Where applicable to the specified product and destination, Huanghe can provide relevant IEC/CB, ISO and CCC documentation and arrange inspection or testing requirements according to the project specification. Exact documentation should be confirmed for the individual cable type and order.
Already have an BOQ, cable schedule, project specification or supplier quotation? Send the available information and the technical team can review the cable construction, LSZH requirements and quotation basis.
A supplier can prepare a more accurate LSZH quotation when the electrical specification and fire-performance requirements are provided together.
An LSZH power cable is a power cable designed with specified materials and fire-performance characteristics associated with low smoke and limited halogen-acid-gas emission. The exact construction and acceptance criteria depend on the applicable product and project requirements.
LSZH and halogen-free are closely related but should not be treated as a complete specification by themselves. The buyer should identify the applicable halogen-related test requirements and the cable materials covered by the requirement.
IEC 60754 provides the relevant test methods for gases evolved during combustion of cable materials. IEC 60754-1 addresses halogen acid gas content, while IEC 60754-2 addresses acidity and conductivity.
IEC 61034-2 addresses the measurement of smoke density from cables burning under defined conditions. The purchaser should use the applicable edition and project acceptance requirements when writing the specification.
LSZH should not be used as a substitute for a specified flame-propagation requirement. Where flame performance is required, the RFQ should identify the applicable IEC 60332 test or project requirement separately.
No, the term LSZH alone does not define the complete insulation system. The RFQ should separately identify insulation, sheath and other construction requirements.
Ask for the complete cable construction, applicable product standard, relevant LSZH/fire-performance test evidence and technical datasheet. The requested evidence should correspond to the actual cable specification and project requirements.
Yes, LSZH requirements should be written directly into the RFQ when they are part of the project specification. This allows suppliers to quote against the same material, test and acceptance requirements.
Huanghe Cable can review project-specific LSZH power-cable requirements as part of the quotation process. The buyer should provide the cable construction, voltage, conductor size, quantity, applicable standard and required fire-performance documentation.
Have an LSZH cable specification ready?
The correct LSZH procurement specification combines electrical cable requirements with separately defined halogen, smoke and flame-performance requirements.
Start with the complete cable construction: voltage rating, conductor, cross-section, number of cores, insulation, sheath, armour or screen and applicable product standard. Then define the required LSZH performance using the applicable IEC test methods and project acceptance criteria.
For halogen-related performance, identify the relevant IEC 60754 requirements. For smoke performance, identify the applicable IEC 61034 requirement. Where flame propagation is required, specify the appropriate IEC 60332 test separately rather than assuming that LSZH automatically defines flame performance.
Finally, require the supplier to provide technical documentation that corresponds to the actual cable construction being quoted. This gives procurement teams a clearer basis for comparing manufacturers and reduces the risk of accepting two cables that use the same LSZH label but do not have the same technical specification.
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